Revelation 11:1-3 ESV
“Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.’”
What’s It About?
The book of Revelation is about what? It is about the events
of the last days before the return of Jesus Christ, correct? And it includes
his return, and it tells us about the new heaven and the new earth, etc. So,
this is written about the Messianic age, after Jesus Christ died and rose from
the dead and ascended back to heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his
followers. So, then we have to read this passage in that context and not in the
context of the Old Covenant relationship God had with his people Israel.
Therefore, the temple being spoken of here is not the physical
temple of God of the Old Covenant, but it is us, the people of God today who
believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. We are that temple.
And God/Jesus Christ lives within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. And so
the measurement being spoken of here is not a physical but a spiritual
measurement (examination). So, we are to be examined (judged) spiritually by
God’s spiritual measurements, which are his Word and his commands.
And the altar being spoken of here is also not a physical
altar but a spiritual one. For spiritually it is the place where we bow the
knee to God in worship of him and we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. We
humble ourselves before the Lord in true repentance of sin and we submit to
Jesus Christ as Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives. And this is where we commune
with our Lord in prayer and we read his word and we then walk in obedience to
our Lord in what his word teaches us we must do.
And those who worship the Lord are not those who merely go
through the motions of worship. But they are those whose lives are surrendered
to Jesus Christ as living sacrifices on his altar, holy and pleasing to the
Lord, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but now transformed
of the Spirit of God away from living in sin to now walking in righteousness in
obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant). For this is the
worship of God which is acceptable and pleasing to him (Romans 12:1-2).
The Nations
Another term used for “the nations” is “the Gentiles,” which
is a biblical term to indicate those who are the ungodly, who are not of genuine
faith in Jesus Christ, according to the teachings of the Scriptures. And the Holy
City is no longer physical Jerusalem in the physical nation of Israel. For she
(Jerusalem) is of Hagar, the slave woman, and she is in slavery with her
children. And we who believe in Christ are of the New Jerusalem, which is the
heavenly Jerusalem, which represents true followers of Jesus Christ.
So, all who do not believe in Jesus Christ to be their Lord
and Messiah are not the children of God. They are not God’s chosen people, but
they are of the antichrist because they are literally anti-Christ. For not all
who are physically descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are
children of Abraham because they are his physical offspring. But the children
of God are the children of the promise, and we are those who belong to Christ.
We who believe in Jesus are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
And all those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their
Lord and Messiah do not believe in God the Father, either. For Jesus told the
Jews that if they knew him (Jesus), then they would know the Father also. But
he said their father was the devil, and they were doing the works of their
father, for their will was to do their father’s desires. So, you can’t believe
in the one true God if you do not believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Messiah. And true belief in Jesus means you have died with him to sin, and if
you are living to him and to his righteousness, in the power of God for the
glory of God.
So, what this means is that the worshipers are the temple,
and they are those whose lives are committed to Jesus Christ in true worship of
him. But those outside the temple, who are outside of genuine faith in Jesus
Christ, are the ungodly of this world. So this includes all Jews who have not
believed in Jesus Christ to be their Messiah. They are now among the nations
who are trampling the Holy City, which is the church, the bride of Christ, the
city of God under the New Covenant; the heavenly Jerusalem.
[John 8:18-19,38-47;
Romans 9:4-8; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:14-18; 1 John
2:22]
The Trampling
So, those who are
outside of faith in Jesus Christ will trample the Holy City, which is the body
of Christ, his church, his temple. So both Jew and Gentile by physical birth,
if they do not believe in Jesus with God-given faith, and if they have not died
with Christ to sin, and if they are not walking in righteousness and in
obedience to him, then they are of the nations who are trampling on God’s holy
nation, his church, the body of Christ. So this is about the persecution of
Christians, not the persecution of Jews.
And this has been
happening ever since Jesus Christ lived on this earth, in reality, beginning
with the persecution of Jesus Christ, and then continuing with the Lord’s disciples,
but not just the 11 (the 12 minus Judas who betrayed Jesus), but all his
followers from then to now and beyond now. We who are following Jesus Christ
with our lives, in truth, and in righteousness and holiness, and in obedience
to our Lord, are being persecuted for righteousness’ sake and for the sake of
the name of Jesus and of his gospel.
And regarding the two witnesses, there are many different
thoughts on who they are, but I believe they represent the Old and the New
Testaments and all those who are proclaiming the truths of the gospel of our
salvation and who are being persecuted because of it, too. For even in the
gatherings of what is called “church” there is much persecution going on
against those who are following the Lord Jesus in obedience and who are walking
in holiness and who are sharing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And regarding times and days, a lot of numbers in the book
of Revelation are intended to be taken more figuratively rather than literally,
as the numbers do have meanings to them. So I don’t think we should get all
hung up on those things. What we need to focus our attention on is making
certain that we are in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ and that we are
walking in his ways and in his truth, and that we are not among the nations who
are trampling on the Lord’s true servants and witnesses.
An
Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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